Continental Premium Contact 5 vs Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125
Ahead in each discipline
The Continental Premium Contact 5 and the Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125 have met in 10 independent tests and the record is level at 5-5. The Premium Contact 5 was stronger in wet, the Ventus Prime 3 K125 in dry, comfort and value.
Performance profile
11 measurements from the 10 shared tests, each tire shown as its share of the better figure in every test.
Where each is furthest ahead
Premium Contact 5
Ventus Prime 3 K125
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
In each test the better of the two figures counts as 100% and the other as its share of it, so a 118 ft stop against 112 ft is 95%; each spoke averages the shared tests that recorded it. The scale stops at 85%: a point further in sits on the hub's edge, hollow.
Where each scores higher
Premium Contact 5
Ventus Prime 3 K125
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
Category scores are percentiles among tires of the same season and class: 90 means this tire out-performs 90% of them, measured across every test we hold, not only the ones it appeared in.
Where owners rate each higher
Premium Contact 5
Ventus Prime 3 K125
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
Owners rate the Premium Contact 5 76% from 119 reviews and the Ventus Prime 3 K125 81% from 127. Each spoke is one question owners answer out of 10; reviews are vetted by hand before publication.
Every measurement, side by side
Averages of the figures both tires posted in the same tests. The gap is the average of each test's own gap, so figures from different cars and years are never mixed. Wins count the tests in which each tire did better.
| Measurement | Premium Contact 5 | Gap | Ventus Prime 3 K125 | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Ventus Prime 3 K125 ahead | ||||
| Dry Braking ft | 124 | 6.2% | 116 | 0-2 |
| Dry Handling mph | 67.1 | 1.5% | 68.2 | 0-2 |
| Subj. Dry Handling pts | scored | 28.6% | scored | 0-1 |
| Wet Premium Contact 5 ahead | ||||
| Wet Braking ft | 118 | 0.8% | 117 | 1-1 |
| Wet Handling mph | 50.3 | 0.9% | 49.8 | 1-1 |
| Subj. Wet Handling pts | scored | 14.3% | scored | 1-0 |
| Straight Aqua mph | 51.3 | 4.5% | 49.2 | 2-0 |
| Comfort Ventus Prime 3 K125 ahead | ||||
| Subj. Comfort pts | scored | 12.5% | scored | 1-0 |
| Noise dB | 73.55 | 1.2 dB | 72.35 | 0-2 |
| Value Ventus Prime 3 K125 ahead | ||||
| Wear miles | 23,749 | 2.1% | 23,264 | 1-0 |
| Rolling Resistance kg / t | 8.41 | 3.3% | 8.14 | 0-2 |
Braking distances and lap times are better when lower; speeds, wear and grip figures when higher. A test's figures are its own: sizes, cars, surfaces and temperatures differ from one to the next, which is why the averages here are only ever of tests the two tires shared.
Head to head in 10 tests, 2016 to 2019
Each row is one published test in which both tires ran on the same car, in the same size, on the same day. The line is the whole field, winner on the left.
| Test | Premium Contact 5 | Field | Ventus Prime 3 K125 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 AMS Summer SUV Tire Test | P7 of 11 | P4 of 11 | |
| 2018 Auto Bild 15 inch Summer Tire Test | P2 of 20 | P1 of 20 | |
| 2018 AutoBild Summer Tire Overview | P5 of 51 | P1 of 51 | |
| 2018 ADAC Summer Tire Test - 205/55 R16 | P3 of 16 | P5 of 16 | |
| 2017 Auto Express Summer Tire Test | P1 of 11 | P5 of 11 | |
| 2017 ACE SUV Summer Tire Test | P1 of 11 | P4 of 11 | |
| 2017 AZ Summer Tire Test | P2 of 10 | P6 of 10 | |
| 2017 ADAC 195/65 R15 Summer Tire Test | P3 of 16 | P14 of 16 | |
| 2016 AutoBild Summer Tire Test | P3 of 15 | P1 of 15 | |
| 2016 Market Overview - Braking Test | P8 of 50 | P2 of 50 |
Premium Contact 5 vs Ventus Prime 3 K125: your questions
Is the Continental Premium Contact 5 or the Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125 the better tire?
The Continental Premium Contact 5 and the Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125 have met in 10 independent tests and the record is level at 5-5. On the Tire Reviews Score, which weighs every test and review we hold, the Premium Contact 5 scores 7.7 and the Ventus Prime 3 K125 8.8 out of 10.
Which is better in the wet, the Premium Contact 5 or the Ventus Prime 3 K125?
The Premium Contact 5 led 5 of the 7 wet measurements the shared tests recorded. On average it resisted straight aquaplaning at a 4.5% higher speed across 2 tests.
Which is better in the dry?
The Ventus Prime 3 K125 led 5 of the 5 dry measurements the shared tests recorded. On average it stopped 6.2% shorter in the dry across 2 tests.
Which lasts longer and costs less to run?
The Premium Contact 5 lasted 2.1% longer in the wear test (1 test); the Ventus Prime 3 K125 had 3.3% lower rolling resistance (2 tests). Owners rate wear 5.8/10 for the Premium Contact 5 and 8/10 for the Ventus Prime 3 K125.
Which is quieter and more comfortable?
The Ventus Prime 3 K125 was 1.2 dB quieter (2 tests). Owners rate comfort 7.9/10 for the Premium Contact 5 and 8/10 for the Ventus Prime 3 K125.
What do owners say?
Owners rate the Premium Contact 5 76% from 119 reviews and the Ventus Prime 3 K125 81% from 127. 57% of Premium Contact 5 owners would buy it again, against 79% for the Ventus Prime 3 K125.
Are they available in the same sizes?
The Premium Contact 5 is made in 23 sizes (14 to 17 inch) and the Ventus Prime 3 K125 in 64 (15 to 20 inch). 17 sizes are available in both. On the EU label the Premium Contact 5 is graded A for wet grip and C for rolling resistance in most sizes; the Ventus Prime 3 K125 A and C.
Which is the newer tire?
The Ventus Prime 3 K125 is the newer design: it reached the market in 2021, the Premium Contact 5 in 2012. The Premium Contact 5 replaced the Continental Premium Contact 2. The Ventus Prime 3 K125 replaced the Hankook Ventus Prime2.
More comparisons with these tires
Every Continental vs Hankook test → All comparisons → Compare three or more tires →
Run either of these?
Your review is the part of this page no test can supply: how the tire wore, how it aged, what it was like in the rain in year three. It takes about five minutes.
Where this data comes from
Finishing positions and measurements are transcribed from each published test. A test only counts here when both tires ran in it, so every figure was recorded on the same car, size and day as the one it is compared to.
About the TR Score
The Tire Reviews Score rates each tire out of 10 from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold, so two tires can be compared even before a test has run them together.
Who does the testing
Every test published as a Tire Reviews test is run by Jonathan Benson, who has been testing tires independently since 2007.